Danny's Song (Tape 13)

Transcription

Danny Mason was a little boy who could do many, many things. For one thing, Danny could play music on the piano. All kinds of music. One day while he was practicing his piano lesson, Danny happened to look out the window.

Danny couldn't go as fast as his brother and sister. One reason was that he had to wear braces on his legs when he walked because his legs were not very strong. Most of the time, Danny didn't think about the braces on his legs. But sometimes when he wanted to go fast, they made him angry and sad.

Mom: Danny? I thought you'd all gone out to play in the snow.

Danny: I haven't finished practicing my piano lesson.

Mom: That's okay, honey. Go on out.

Danny: No I can't!

Mom: Danny, did Katie and Alec run off without you?

Danny: They don't have to play with me.

Mom: They love to play with you.

Danny: They do not. I can't do anything.

Mom: Danny, that's not true.

Danny: I can't do anything. I'll never be able to do anything.

Mom: Danny Mason, I don't know what has gotten into you. You play the piano. You make pictures. You make up songs. You swim. You do arithmetic. You read. You swing.

Danny: I can't do anything! I won't do anything! I can't and I won't!

Danny's mother tried to talk to Danny, but he was too sad to be cheered up by anybody. He snuck away to his secret hiding place -- the front hall closet. He sat down with the rubber boots and the prickly umbrellas and the big winter coats hanging above his head. He cried and cried. And when he was tired of crying, he sulked and pouted. Over and over again he thought...

Danny: I can't and I won't. I won't do anything. I'm going to sit here in the closet and they'll never even miss me. They'll say, "I'm glad he's gone. He was so slow. He was no fun at all." I won't ever come out.

Danny was still sitting and pouting when Alec and Katie came back.

[Door opens]

Alec: Boy, that snow was cold!

Katie: Especially when you put it down my back! Where's Danny?

Alec: Danny! Where are you?

Katie: Mommy, where's Danny?

Mom: I think you'd better leave him alone right now.

Katie: Okay.

Alec: I know! Let's make some cocoa. He'll like that.

Katie: Danny loves cocoa.

Alec: Here's the pan.

Katie: I'll get the milk. I don't know how much cocoa to put in.

Alec: Me neither. Danny's the one who always makes the cocoa. Yuck! This tastes awful! Too much chocolate.

Katie: We'll have to ask Danny how he makes it.

Alec: You don't think Danny's outside looking for us, do you? Danny! Where are you?

Katie: Maybe he's upstairs.

[Walking upstairs]

Alec: He's not up here.

Katie: Maybe he's in the cellar.

[Walking downstairs]

Alec: It's cold down here.

Katie: Danny! Danny!

Alec: He's hiding from us, Katie.

Katie: Probably because we went outside and left him here. He always was the best at finding hiding places.

Alec: And making the best cocoa.

Katie: And he makes mom laugh by just wiggling his nose.

Alec: And playing table hockey.

Katie: Where is he? I wish we didn't go off without him.

Alec: But sometimes I just can't wait.

Katie: Me, too.

Alec: It's no fun without Danny.

Katie: Yeah, it's just no fun.

Danny was listening to what Alec and Katie were saying. And then he stopped thinking about all of the things he couldn't do and wouldn't do. And he couldn't help but think about all the things that he could do.

Danny: Danny Mason, you can't do anything. Except make cocoa. And play the piano. Sing songs. Watch television. Do math.

Danny's list went on and on.

Danny: Blow my nose. Brush my teeth. I could even make up a song about all the things I can do. [Singing] I'm a bird watcher. I'm balloon blower. I'm a card player. I'm a group leader. I'm a phone dialer. And a knee skinner. Like Alec and Katie!

Alec and Katie began to hear sounds coming out of the closet and they began to get curious.

Alec: What's that?

Katie: In the closet.

Alec: Let's go look.

[Door opens]

Danny: BOO!

Katie: Danny!

Danny: Serves you right! Serves you right!

Katie: You creep.

Alec: What's the big idea? You make me mad jumping out on me like that.

Danny: You made me mad leaving me like that.

Katie: We're sorry.

Danny: You'll do it again.

Katie: And you'll get mad again.

Danny: That's right.

Katie: What were you doing in the closet anyways?

Danny: Making up songs.

Alec: In a closet?

Danny: Why not? It was a song about all the things I can do.

Katie: It was?

Danny: Yeah. But I had forgot a few things.

Alec: Like what?

Danny: Like I can get angry and I can get mad. And I can tell my sister and my brother how mad they make me.

Alec: You make me mad, too.

Katie: You both make me mad. But not all the time.

Danny: Same here. I'm not mad even nearly all the time.

Alec: Hey, Danny. Why don't you taste the cocoa Katie made. Yuk!

Kaite: Oh, come on, you.

Danny: Want me to make some?

Katie: Yeah. Come on.

Danny and Alec and Katie -- they're like all brothers and sisters and friends. They get mad some of the time but not nearly all of the time.